mental health NZ
“The most recent year for which we have provisional suicide data is the financial year from July 2020 – June 2021. 607 people died by suspected suicide during that year.”
New Zealand has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the OECD.
Risk factors include:
Having previously attempted suicide
Having experienced suicidal distress/thoughts/behaviours
Losing a loved one or peer to suicide
Age – in New Zealand, young people have the highest suicide rate
Gender – in New Zealand and around the world, men are 3-4 times more likely to die by suicide
Sexuality – there is evidence that non-heterosexual people are at higher risk of suicide
Gender identity – there is evidence that people who do not identify with the gender they are assigned at birth are at a higher risk of suicide
Ethnicity – in New Zealand, Māori are more likely to die by suicide than non-Māori
Family and childhood experiences, including experiencing poverty, deprivation, physical and/or sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, the loss of significant family members
Experience of mental illness (including depression, anxiety)
Substance abuse
Feeling hopeless
Being exposed to media reporting/depictions/portrayal of suicide
Relationship breakdowns
Losing status/influence
Loneliness
Unemployment
we need to tackle big issues like how we support people bereaved by suicide, racism, the legacy of colonisation, poor housing, homophobia, discrimination, barriers to education and social barriers that prevent people from feeling comfortable or safe asking for help.